A costly mistake
by Usagi-Sherlock112
Summary: Noblesse short story: M-21 has made a huge mistake and it may be the last one he ever makes. . .


"W-what have you done? Are you INSANE?!" Takeo looked at M-21 with horror in his eyes.

He was dead. He knew that. He was dead. What had he been thinking? His sanity must have been erased for an hour when he decided to do this.

"You . . . you decided you needed to use a computer, yes?" Takeo started.

M-21 nodded his head slowly.

"So, you decided you would go into Tao's room and take one of his?" Takeo continued.

Again M-21 nodded his head, beginning to sweat.

"And you took Tao's new laptop? That was sitting on his desk?" Tao finished.

M-21's head fell into his hands as he realized the full meaning of what he had done.

"You do realize that Tao's technological items are like his kids right? Why would you use one of his laptops? He hates other people using his laptops even when he is supervising you! And you broke it?! I remember when we were in the DA-5 and Shark chipped a screen on Tao's computer and Tao punched him in the face. You know Tao wouldn't usually do something like that! But . . . well, it was nice knowing you!" Takeo patted M-21's shoulder.

"No! Wait! Takeo, you need to help me! Please!" M-21 begged.

"Look, I dunno what I could do. Maybe you just need to tell Tao and accept the punishment." Takeo explained.

"I know Tao's type. He's happy and smiley and easy going most of the time but when he gets angry, it's like Armageddon! You can't leave me alone in my time of need!" M-21 begged.

"What are you shouting about? How undignified." Regis walked through the door and stared at M-21. "There is no reason to raise your voice in the house."

"M-21 broke Tao's new laptop" Takeo explained.

Regis looked from Takeo back to M-21. "Ah, I see. I suppose you can raise your voice for that. Well, it was nice knowing you."

"You guys have got to help me! You can't just throw me to the wolves!" M-21 pleaded.

"Aren't you the werewolf?" Regis mocked.

"That's not funny! Come on you two! Help me." M-21 was nearly on his knees at this stage.

Regis and Takeo looked at each other. "We will do what we can but if Tao finds out, you are on your own. Understand?" Regis stated.

M-21 let out a sigh of relief and nodded. Maybe he would be able to get out of this mess alive with the help of these two. How would they fix this mess?

At that moment, Frankenstein and his master walked through the door. Rai-nim looked as elegant as always as Frankenstein followed gracefully behind him. Frankenstein looked at the three in the room looking downtrodden.

"What's the matter with you three?" Frankenstein asked.

"M-21 broke Tao's new laptop." Regis commented.

Frankenstein looked from Regis to Takeo to M-21. "It was nice knowing you."

"Why does everybody keep saying that?" M-21 sighed. "Frankenstein, couldn't you fix it? You're all knowing, right? You can surely fix a computer, right?"

"I could if it was an older one. I'm used to it. But this is one with which I am not familiar. I wouldn't want to make it worse." Frankenstein explained.

What else could he do? He suddenly looked at Rai. Perhaps. . .

"Rai-nim, maybe you could awaken it!? You know, like how you awakened me and gave me new power. Maybe it would work with the laptop?" M-21 looked at Rai with hope. Everyone else in the room looked at M-21 like he had lost his sanity once again. Takeo wondered if M-21 had lost it from all the bangs to the head. Regis wondered if he had a condition. Frankenstein was ready to hit m-21 for asking his master to perform such a request. Rai then turned to M-21.

"My power would not work on such a device. It only works when it comes into contact with a living being. I apologize for not being able to fulfil your request even though you asked it of me". Rai replied.

M-21 stopped. What the hell had he just said? How idiotic was that request? "N-no, of course not. Don't worry about it." M-21 stuttered.

Rai left the room with Frankenstein but not before Frankenstein gave M-21 a look that said "I'll deal with you later."

Takeo and Regis stared after the two men who left the room then looked back to M-21. "Well, that didn't work" Takeo remarked.

"Maybe you could pay to get it fixed before Tao gets back?" Regis suggested.

"First of all, it's after 8, most of the shops would be closed and Tao will be back soon, we wouldn't have time. Secondly, that laptop cost over 2 million Won. How much would it cost to get it fixed? I don't have that kind of money. Let's just face the facts, I'm doomed!" M-21 cried.

"How did you break it in the first place?" Regis inquired.

"I don't even know! I was on it, looking through a couple of websites and then I clicked on something and the screen went blank! It wouldn't turn back on. I pressed every button possible and nothing!" M-21 explained.

At that moment, Tao walked through the door. "Yo! What's going on guys?" Tao smiled.

The tension in the room reached a new level.

"Finally home!" Tao flopped down on the couch. "You wouldn't believe what a day I've had. The computers in the school were all on the glitch. It took me forever to configure all of them again. I hate when technology fails on me. I was nearly ready to kill someone." Tao finished.

The other three men looked at each other but Takeo and Regis took comfort in the fact that if anyone was going to be murdered it wasn't going to be either of them.

"Back to a computer I know!" Tao ran into his room and brought out the new laptop that M-21 had defiled. The tension was unbearable at this stage between the three and they feared the worst.

Tao went to turn on the laptop when he stopped and looked puzzled. "Huh that's strange." Tao muttered. "Why won't it turn on?"

M-21 was about to burst and stood up.

"I was sure that I charged it this morning before I left. Strange." Tao got up and went into his room to emerge with a cord which he stuck into the laptop. He pressed the button again which allowed the laptop to spring to life.

M-21's jaw dropped as did Regis' and Takeo's. M-21 looked at the two with delight in his eyes while the other two looked relieved along with some irritation present in their faces.

"_It ran out of battery?!" _Takeo mouthed.

M-21 shrugged. What did it matter? He would live another day! He smiled at the men and turned to Tao. "Well, it's been a long day. I'm going to bed! Goodnight!" M-21 made a salute towards Tao and then Regis and Takeo.

"Um. . ." Tao started.

The three men looked around at Tao.

"Who was on my laptop? Someone left an internet tab open." Tao frowned and then looked at the men with rage in his eyes.

Takeo, Regis and M-21 looked at each other before running faster than they ever had in their lives.

"HEY, COME BACK HERE!" Tao screamed as he ran after them to kill whoever had touched his baby without permission.


End file.
